How Can You Ensure Flight Plans Are Saved in MSFS 2020?

Your issue is indeed a common one that can be frustrating, especially after planning a detailed flight. Let’s dive into how you can ensure your flight plans are preserved when saving a flight in MSFS 2020.

Why Does This Happen?
By default, MSFS 2020 may not always save the complete state of your flight, which includes the flight plan. This is primarily due to the way the save system segregates flight data from navigational data.

Steps to Ensure Complete Save:

1. Use the In-Game ATC: Before saving your flight, ensure you have your flight plan fully loaded and acknowledged in the ATC window. This interaction helps to 'cement' the flight plan data into the session.
2. Save from the World Map: Instead of saving mid-flight, set up your flight completely on the World Map screen, where you input your departure, arrival, and all waypoints. Then save this setup as a custom departure scenario.
3. Manual Backup: Consider manually noting down your flight plan or using a third-party tool to save your flight plans externally. Tools like Little Navmap can be exceptionally useful and can interact seamlessly with MSFS 2020 to load and save comprehensive flight plans.

Additional Tips:

• Regularly Update Your Simulator: Ensure that your MSFS 2020 is up to date, as updates often fix bugs related to game-saving functionalities.
• Community Mods: Explore mods that enhance the saving features. The MSFS community is vibrant and continually develops unofficial fixes that can offer additional saving capabilities.

Applicability to Other Simulators:
These practices are somewhat universal and can also be applicable to other simulation platforms like X-Plane 12, although the specific steps might vary depending on the simulator’s architecture.

Conclusion:
Saving your flight plan in MSFS 2020 requires a bit more than a simple click, but with these steps, you can ensure that not only your aircraft’s position but also its planned route and other settings are preserved for future flights.

If you have further questions or need clarification on specific steps, feel free to ask. Happy flying!

Remember, every simulation experience is a chance to learn and improve. By integrating these practices into your routine, you not only overcome the current challenge but also enhance your overall simulation skills.

Fly safe!